The Spider’s Web
The Scottish Government will make history tomorrow. For the first time ever since the advent of devolution 24 years ago, it will take the Scottish Information Commissioner to the Court Of Session to prevent disclosure of information.
On the bench will be the full firepower of the inner council of the Scottish judiciary. The Lord President himself, Lord Carloway, will be presiding (and presumably lording) over the hearing. Joining him on the bench will be a former Lord Advocate, Lord Boyd, and a former Solicitor General, Lord Pentland – pictured below, and of whom readers will last have heard here.
To use the legal parlance, that’s a big-boy lineup.
To present their case, the Government are fielding not one but two King’s Counsel – James Mure KC and Paul Reid KC.
This top legal talent does not come cheap and nor does a Court Of Session hearing. So what is this vital information that the Scottish Government – which as recently as May this year pledged to “ensure that we are the most transparent Government on these islands” – is trying so desperately to hide from the Scottish public, at the Scottish public’s very considerable expense?
Could it be Alex Salmond’s legal advice on an independence referendum from back in 2012? Could it be the details of decision-making process which led the the hapless Shona Robison to be taken to the cleaners in the new financial settlement with the Treasury? Could it be Humza Yousaf’s secret independence strategy? (Come along now, no sniggering at the back.)
Turns out it’s none of those. What they’re trying to keep from public view is the written evidence received by James Hamilton, who wrote the report into whether or not Nicola Sturgeon broke the Ministerial Code during her government’s unlawful investigation into false allegations concerning Alex Salmond.
The claims of diehard supporters and numerous SNP figures that Sturgeon was in any way “cleared” by Hamilton were an exaggeration at best, and deliberately misleading at worst. What Hamilton actually found was that “it is for the Scottish Parliament to decide whether they they were in fact misled” which is exactly what the Parliamentary Committee examining the affair subsequently found had happened.
However, that’s not why the Scottish Government is in a flap. To understand the real reason we have to go right back to the origins of tomorrow’s hearing. In April 2021, alert Wings reader Benjamin Harrop tabled an FOI asking for the written evidence which Hamilton had ingathered to pursue his report. The Scottish Government refused the FOI on the comically spurious grounds that they did not “hold” the information, because Hamilton had acted independently.
Doggedly refusing to be fobbed off, Harrop appealed the ruling to the then Information Commissioner and won, but instead of taking it on the chin the Scottish Government has taken the new Commissioner (confusingly another Hamilton, this time David) to the highest civil court in the land.
One of the reasons the Government’s position is so weak it needs two KCs to present it is that they were responsible for redacting the Hamilton report. Indeed, so heavily did they do so that its author was incandescent, and insisted on the highly unusual step of publishing a letter alongside the release of his report expressing this frustration.
He fumed that the redacted report “cannot be properly understood by those reading it, and presents an incomplete and even at times misleading version of what happened”, which is an extraordinary accusation to level at, in effect, himself.
What Hamilton was driving at was “certain events prior to 29th March 2018, which are highly significant for understanding who was aware of complaints against Mr Salmond and what they did with that information”.
In other words, just how rotten the smell around the investigation was.
Hamilton found the evidence of Mr Geoff Aberdein, Salmond’s former chief of staff, on these events “credible”. Aberdein’s account of what happened was backed up by no fewer than four witnesses. What is suspected by those close to the inquiry is that the unredacted report also found the competing evidence of an anonymised official to be incredible, and it was for that reason these passages were removed from the report.
It follows that Aberdein’s written evidence is also likely to be found “credible” by the Court Of Session tomorrow, as is that of the four witnesses who support his account, while the competing “elaborate” and unsupported account is somewhat less so.
The redactions were ostensibly justified on the basis of court orders protecting anonymity. But let’s consider another possibility. Let’s just suppose for a moment that the extensive redactions to the Hamilton Report took place not just at the behest of the Scottish Government’s legal civil servants, but also of special advisers desperate to put a lid on the mounting political damage engulfing the administration.
In which case the Scottish Government’s unprecedented and historic foray into the Court Of Session is designed not just to prevent the publication of evidence that could identify accusers, but to cover up misfeasance, malfeasance and potential perjury and criminal conspiracy at the very heart of government.
That is the tangled web in which the Scottish Government are now ensnared, and their final fate will one way or the other provide the public with an instructive illustration of just how big a mess the country’s governance and integrity has fallen into.
“The Arc of the Moral Universe is Long, But it Bends Toward Justice.”
Hopefully!
Sweep this all away. Vote Alba.
As always, first class journalism.
Stuart Campbell earning-his-corn, yet again!
Madame Roquentin and I will, of course, be scouring the MSM for a comprehensive, blow-by-blow, in-depth account and analysis of the forthcoming proceedings.
Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.
Does the SNP win for the most court cases, ever?
As the public are paying for this then everything should be transparent.
It will be Liz Lloyds evidence . It was the only time she was allowed to give evidence. They collapsed the judicial review when she was next up . Swinney made sure she was the only person in Nicolas office not to appear at the parliamentary inquiry but she did give a statement under oath to this inquiry which of course was completely blacked out I’m the final report. Everyone and their granny know about the leak but perjury is a step up even for her.
In my best Michael Caine voice – “this will blow the bloody doors off!”. And not a moment too soon either.
Top, top work Stu thank you and we all await the result, which hopefully will be a step in the right direction of revealing the actions of certain individuals in the attempted framing of an innocent man
Yet another opportunity to distance his government from its predecessor is spurned by Humza Yousaf.
What a clown!
The SNP: corrupt to the core, inept, deserving jail time–and yet the SNP is leading by double digits in the latest IPSOS poll. Which poll also shows Alba at 2%.
A sad state of affairs.
Typo in name, in first mention of Mr Geoff Aberdein (not that it really matters)
Superb work, as ever. Thank you.
I’ll never get Alex’s beatific face, or that of Sheena Wellington as she urged them all to sing the last verse, out of my head on the day of the opening of the Scottish parliament. That it has come to this. It’s utterly beyond belief.
I hope Sturgeon suffers every day, for the rest of her misbegotten life, for her quite astounding levels of treachery.
Shame on the entirety of the Scottish press for their terrible derelictions of duty, and their lies.
And in another twist of the tangled web, and example of the smallness of Scottish civic society, the recently appointed Scottish Information Commissioner David Hamilton (previously chair of the Scottish Police Federation) is the brother of Duncan Hamilton KC, who attended to advise Big Alex at the legendary 2nd April 2018 meeting in the Sturrell house, the one where Nikla did or didn’t say she would intervene in the investigation process.
Anyone have any idea how far of resolution might be? How long after the hearing for the court to rule? Do appeals begin after that? Are we in another Branchform-style never-ending story?
How long after the hearing will the court rule? Will that be the start of appeals? Is resolution likely before the next election?
The importance of this case cannot be overestimated. The future ceredibility of the Scottish Judicial Institutions hangs by a thread, entrusted to the hands of these thtree judges.
It is truly a cases of The People v The State.
If the state wins, Scotland loses hundreds of years of its history of, and reputation for, openess and fairness.
Whilst the result of the case cannot be predicted, the consequences of a wrong decision most certainly can be: it will mean that totalitarianism has won the day in Scotland, and we the people must bow down and do whatever the Government dictates. Like it or lump it.
The only consolation is the timing of the hearing, coming as it does on the footsteps of the SNP’s attempted interference in the running of the legal establishment. This I hope will be an indication of what else is in store if the Government is allowed to blunder on unchecked. Hopefully Turkeys won’t vote for Christmas
Liz Lloyd attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1998 to 1999.
Perhaps she was recruited there?
Kate Forbes gave a series of lectures at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 21st to 24th October 2019.
Forbes has not accounted for the “longstanding engagement” in the US that prevented her attending the recent SNP annual conference. The four week period allowed to complete entries in the Holyrood, Register of Interests has elapsed. Never mind, perhaps the “engagement” was personal and funded from her own resources.
Forbes has one more week to add the Liverpool conference of the British American Project to her Register of Interests.
No surprises there. My FOI requests have been frequently refused Some have been declined completely, on the spurious grounds of “commercial confidentiality”, (which only applies during the first six months of a contract, after which time prices etc are consdered “out of date” according to the Information Commissioner).Compliance is often at the very limit of the allowed time period. The Scottish Government make it as difficult as possible.
Outstanding work yet again Stu. The fact that other Scottish journalists are not prepared to do this kind of work speaks volumes. Also, I phoned a mate last night and yes, it was indeed the Golden Chip. ?
Another doff of the cap to surely the finest investigative site & journalist online.
How one hopes that the malign cabal who attempted the demonisation of one of, if not the, leading politician of his generation are having a few sleepness nights haunted by the dread of their actions returning to haunt them.
And, how classic that, yet again, the public will pick up the tab.
Welcome to Scotland the best wee corrupt country in the world.
They lied ,we know they lied, they know we know they lied, but they cannot let it become the documented position. SNP/Greens , Scotlands shame.
Excellent journalism Stu. Having such a big boy line up will surely reduce the prospect of the Scot Gov appealing to the Supreme Court should the ICO win the case.
It would be foolish of the SG to even try and continue with this case tomorrow, if we where dealing with a competent government I’d believe tomorrow they’d withdraw from the case and provide the information requested. As it happens we are dealing with a government that only seems to look after their own interest than that of the people.
Squalid, venal, grubby, government.
Humza really living up to his promise to be the continuity candidate, it is as if Sturgeon never left.
It is amazing seeing legislation brought in to protect genuine victims of sexual abuse used in a very premeditated and calculating way to provide a cloak of secrecy to a group of totally corrupt individuals, so they can hide their lies and perjuries. And all overseen and enforced by Lady D of course…
The public interest in all of it coming out is off the scale.
The public interest in keeping all the liars and schemers identities secret – none, absolutely none.
Post 2014 Sturgeon SNP are a disgusting party, really vile and dangerous. I would not put anything past them in an effort to save their skins. They are entirely without any moral compass and none more so than Sturgeon herself. She lies likes she breathes. a walking lie.
And so it goes on…Oh and let’s not forget the author of the Vow is the CEO of the party. Just in case you don’t despise them enough…
Sturgeon like her New Zealand Pal will end up with a nice cosy job as reward for being a good little “globalist”
link to gettr.com
“I understand that as the law now stands there appears to be no alternative approach which would allow my unredacted report to be published”
I fully understand that statement.
I fully understand why it was written.
But is it true? No alternative approach?
Alternative approaches exist, each with a greater or lesser amount of associated risk. Most of us can work out what they are. Many of us can assess how the risk stacks up in the balance against the public good.
But it does appear to me that in that one statement, and its foundational focus on the living of a risk-free life, we can see why Scotland may never be free.
I believe many of our forebears were of a different stamp. But I guess they’re a’ deid.
Fingers crossed
As and when a merciful veil is drawn over this stage of your devolved assembly I would pay good money to read an in-depth expose of the various and sordid shenanigans which went on-written, hopefully, by this site’s Editor
All I can say that is that I hope that the outcome of this procedure produces the metaphorical equivalence of the web of Sydney funnel-web spider and that the people involved are unable to avoid the fate of a public assassination of their reputation and their livelihood
The SNP have embraced Britishness completely, i.e. they have become totally corrupt (and British).
They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
No wonder the MSM’s reluctance to report this.
The British Establishment doesn’t need a strong political opposition in Scotland to see off Independence because it’s got the Scottish Government onside.
Conspiracy theorists out in force will try to make the false implication that scotgov has something to hide.
– just because I won’t let you sniff my underpants doesn’t mean I shat them. (Just ignore the smell, all is fine.)
joking aside …
Scotland’s legal establishment is utterly corrupt and unionist to the core (- corrupt BECAUSE it is unionist, for there is nothing -straight- in the union); they will be triangulating though – for how -stupid- do you want to look in covering up the arses and misdeeds of low rent politicians (failed lawyers mostly) – the general public must believe at root, more or less, “the system works”. Idiot politicians shitting the place up are a nuisance.
Maybe, just maybe the Grand Knight Salamander in charge will just lose the plot, stare them in the eye and say
“same rules apply!”
The only way to blow this thing open is for a whistleblower, say in a foreign land, gave us all a massive data dump.
Chapeau Stu, what a wonderful piece of journalism. If it was not for this article I would have had no idea about this court case at all. Probably not alone in that, as, so far none of the MSM have uttered a stutter, quelle surprise.
That it should all have come to this. There will be a special place in hell for Sturgeon and her lying minions. The sooner that we the public, get this suppurating boil lanced and let the light of day in to all of it the better. Maybe we can all start again. Well maybe no me, as I’m in my seventies now it’s probably too late to see an independent Scotland.
“We do not hold that information” is a good one.
I’ll add it to the list.
Perjurers can’t be named, ….because it will damage justice?.
Contracts can’t be revealed, ….because of client confidentiality,
Show us the experimental data, ….No! But here’s a mathematical model.
Where’s the crime scene evidence ?,…..such evidence can’t be shared “because it’s too distressing.”
Lists of arms supplies to gangster states? ….Sorry, D notices.
Let me test your results? …..No! The Science is settled.
Give us facts to form our own opinions. ….. No! ‘cos you’ll only make up conspiracy theories.
The democratic franchise 2023
Just trust the experts.
Knowledge is power.
Stu, I claim my “Alert Reader” badge 🙂
“which led the the hapless”
Do any lawyers out there know the answer to this question:
If one of the Salmond accusers decided to name herself in the press, would she be in breach of the order made by Lady D. and thereby be liable to punishment for contempt of court?
Is there any authority for the proposition that accusers can waive their anonymity without permission of the court?
Thanks, Stuart, had no idea this was in the pipeline for tomorrow.
I see Geri beat me to it, couldn’t help but think “Oh what a tangled web we weave…” etc throughout reading that.
The continuity candidate once again passing up a golden opportunity to put some clear distance between himself and his handler, puppeteer Sturgeon.
Puppeteer: A person who manipulates an inanimate object, called a puppet, to create the illusion the puppet is alive.
How apt!
Brilliant journalism.
Wing readers will recall that when Nicola took office she said she wanted to be finally judged on her record on education. The results of an international assessment of Scottish education are out today. On reading and arithmetic Scotland has gone backwards . . .
Do we all recall Sturgeon’s PROMISE on what is commonly known as the “Three Rs”?
Or, in the case of the SNP, three arses, Sturgeon, Murrell and Yousef.
If the post 2014 history of the SNP and Scot Govt had been written up as a big book, no-one would have published it, because it would have been ruled as unbelievable fantasy, utterly implausible, completely unrealistic, even for a work of fiction.
But it is all TRUE!
Every time we think it couldn’t get any worse, the SNP proves us wrong.
One can but wonder when and how, and by whom, it will be brought to a stop.
Cannae wait til Alex reds the loat ay that evil witches cult cabal. No afore time! “Wheest fir indy n move oan, Alex,” ma Satanic Verse! Take thum tae the cleaners, Big Man! Gie Nicola “travelling Scottish lesbian squad” Sturgeon suhhin fir her ghost writer tae write aboot in her shitey fucking ah-cannae-mind memoirs!
N oan a different note. The forgotten-aboot Hate Crime Bill finally takes effect oan April 1st nixt year. Perfect date fir an illigitimate legislation joke tae take Free Speech-chilling effect. The world’s first n last pishtaking comedy porno poetry rap-inspired album protesting this pile ay stinking keech jist came oot, cawed Taking Notes From Toilet Walls, fae The Scottish Cultural Cringe. Part skittish Scottish government mockery, bit maistly hardcore sex. See if ye kin spot a familiar Scottish politician’s could-be cameo in the first track. Fire oan! 🙂
link to scottishculturalcringe.bandcamp.com
That is total filth, whorattledyourcage.
I like it.
If you need any advice on sweary words then consult our very own Geri. S/he/it(e)’s got a shitpile.
The Forge @ 2:43 pm
“The British Establishment doesn’t need a strong political opposition in Scotland to see off Independence because it’s got the Scottish Government onside.”
Yes, worth remembering that the SNP elite front a colonial administration (i.e. ScotGov) working on behalf of the colonial power and are therefore part of a much wider state apparatus tasked with preventing independence at any cost and holding back the movement.
Like others I am both grateful for your investigative efforts and stunned by what I have just read.
Any yet nothing in the mainstream media??
Why not. A serious question. Are they just hopeless or is there a more sinister explanation?
Looks like another load of shite to muddy the waters with. In a bottom line world, we have suffered and endured almost another decade of hardcore pro-parasite bullshit from London (which the sh1tbags laughably call capitalism) since the last vote.
The idea that support hasn’t increased by more than 5% since then is quite simply for the birds.
It really does look like the movement is being fractured by design.
Good article!
If only they’d pulled out all the big legal guns like this for the (so called) Supreme Court fiasco instead of sending pleasantly confused Bain down like a law student asking her tutors for guidance on legalese as opposed to fighting the case for us.
As for this case; well, be sure yer sins will find you out!
As for when- well I bet they are green with envy on the 99 year timespan put on Phil the Greeks Will contents being sealed..
Another clue why Top Shagger was given a foot up, another aspect of continuity ie hiding the Murrells recent history.
History will tell, like Independence though they are probably banking on us all having shuffled off this mortal coil by then.
dasBlimp
“Everybody is all serious and ‘sensitive,’ and fake-caring”
Wow, I just posted to that effect on the other thread and then I read this.
Life imitating art.
“not that this is art, really, being honest”
Jury’s out on that.
Even though the Scottish government appears to have a weak case, I’m still not that confident that their machinations under Sturgeon will see the light of day. Maybe I’m just being too pessimistic, but with the likes of the previous and current Lord Advocates and Lady Dorian on the judicial side of things, exposing Sturgeon and her clique for what they really are still seems a long way off, if at all.
Christ we even had a Mi5 agent as our Crown agent, how many more like him are floating around the Scottish judiciary and the COPFS.
Well done Stu. Excellent. Sent a link to everyone I know.
Many Thanks Rev.
Why is it this country only had one real investigative journalist that is will to go dig and report it as it is?
This latest woke joke from the SNP came on TV News earlier today.
Criminals with a record of being violent to women will not be placed in women’s prisons if they claim to be Trans.
So in other words, if you have a long criminal record of violence against men and boys and perhaps you murdered a couple in recent times you can claim to be Trans and share a cell with a young woman.
Anyone thinking this makes sense wants locked up in a prison with cell mates of the same sex.
You are so the previous article, Mr Main. You need to keep up. LOL. But I don’t remember typing that.
Meanwhile over in the WGD world the SNP are still fantastic whilst all other political parties are corrupt and useless.
Even the dimmest posters on Wings, no names as don’t want to embarrass anybody, can see that this is not strictly true!!
I admit that I once voted SNP 30 years ago, when I was a daft laddie and before I left these shores. Since returning I have only voted for ‘Independents’.
It is a wee bit sad to think that the bulk of posters on here have voted for the SNP umpteen times but at least they have now seen the light. It would be all too easy to blame Scotland’s current predicament on them, at least partly, but that would be unkind. They will never be fooled again-will they?
Republicofscotland @ 5:04 pm
“Christ we even had a Mi5 agent as our Crown agent, how many more like him are floating around the Scottish judiciary and the COPFS.”
Aye RoS, twas ever thus the primary colonial corset holding at bay a peoples desire for liberation; what Frantz Fanon termed ‘the watchdogs of colonialism’. The native ‘does not waste his time searching for justice’ in a colonial society (Albert Memmi).
John Main/dasBlimp:
‘Everybody is all serious and ‘sensitive,’ and fake-caring”
Wow, I just posted to that effect on the other thread and then I read this.
Life imitating art.
“not that this is art, really, being honest”
Jury’s out on that.’
That’s dasBlimp quoting the album explanation page, from the album I linked to a few posts above. Life irritating art, indeed. 🙂
No matter what happens the SNP is finished.
I believe the court will be corrupt to feck too. They’re all unionists fae the secret handshake society.
Lord this, Lady that.. fully bought & paid for.
Justice is supposed to be blind but they’ll have a jack tattooed on their lids.
Merganser
I believe they can waive their right but they would only be able to talk about themselves & not the other liars under the protection of the court.
I follow a lawyer on YouTube & this was discussed regarding the Vallow jury not that long ago who had a right to remain anonymous but could choose to speak to the press (after the verdict) & reveal their identity but couldn’t name or identify the other jurors.
Id expect we have similar but obvs I’m just layman & no expert.
@WhoRattledYourCage says:5 December, 2023 at 5:34 pm
That’s dasBlimp quoting the album explanation page, from the album I linked to a few posts above
Yeah, sorry, I didn’t make that at all clear.
Life irritating art
Like it!
Benjamin Harrop brought this case. See his article posted on Wings March 2nd 2021 “The Heartbreaker”.
John Main:
I see my tactic on the album of not just screaming impotent, recycled, political he-said-she-said stalemate shite is already bearing fruit. And long may it continue.
Always approach from unexpected directions.
Laughing.
Another fantastic investigative exposure by Stuart Campbell,
I have lots of questions but the first one is WTF have the rest of the politicians in the Scottish toon cooncil building been doing while all this has been going on, every party had representatives on the enquiry committee yet FAILED to hammer home that the FINDINGS were that she HAD misled the fairy grotto, instead they sat supinely and allowed the snp to claim moral superiority without any CHALLENGE
EVERY one of them has been complicit in the whitewashing of this abomination against the Scots people
And as others have remarked if it wasn’t for Stu highlighting this post, tomorrow would have passed without this seeing the light of day
I THANK Benjamin Harrop for his perseverance in attempting to shine a light on this fetid affair , and I CURSE those lazy lying inept scum within Holyrood who have chosen to ignore this debauchery and corruption carried out against our citizens
I’m just so thankful we have an exceptional journalist who opens up and reveals all the Sturgeon filth. Grateful thanks,Rev.
alf @5.34pm.
Indeed Alf, Scots must surely among the most propagandised people on the planet, with the foreign media and English state broadcaster controlling our airwaves and influencing our own people to act against us at the polling station.
We have as you say a colonial administration that has made a deal with our colonising government in England, the former will never achieve its only reason to exist Scottish independence and the latter will not reveal its staffs dirty secrets as long as it holds up its end off the bargain, which allows the latter to asset strip and remove huge sums of wealth (basically steal) what belongs to the people of Scotland.
Then we have the the English branch offices of political parties at Holyrood that have no business being there their remit is also to make sure that Scotland never leaves the union.
We have folk from South of the Border parachuted into influential positions in Scotland to act as gatekeepers with Scots is medium and lower jobs. We have also seen a huge influx of folk from England coming to Scotland, as we don’t control who can and can’t come to Scotland that is decided by a foreign country, that alone should have Scots up in arms but the colonial mindset has left Scots apathetic.
Scotland is in a sorry state, and it will only get worse until we dump this shithole of a union.
Up to their necks in steaming excrement, and the bastards know it!
Independence for Scotland!
SNP OUT!
There is live stream from 10.30 on Scottish Courts web site.
A thank you to everyone involved in getting this into the public sphere.
Off topic,
why have ScotGov allowed the costs of a low-carbon retrofit to the COPFS office in Elgin to increase to £3.5 million of Scottish taxpayers’ money? £3.5 million. That’s quite a lot for a building that’s only the size of a large house. Much more of that and ScotGov could almost afford another ferry.
I forgot to add, @BDTT, I enjoyed your link in the previous thread.
Excellent, Rev. I hope that my faith in the judiciary is not ill-placed.
Merganser says: Is there any authority for the proposition that accusers can waive their anonymity without permission of the court?
I think they can do so, but, if they want anything printed relating to their case, they would have to grant written permission to any publisher to prevent that publisher facing charges relating to a breach of anonymity, a serious offence.
Waiving anonymity, in the pursuit of justice, is becoming more common and tends to add gravitas to any statements made by the person waiving the anonymity. However, I would expect that the person involved would notify the court, as a courtesy, that anonymity was being waived before it actually was waived.
In this case, because of the ‘jigsaw’ identification of witnesses, it might not be possible to waive the shield of anonymity because of the possibility of unwittingly identifying others also related to the case who would not be happy to lose their anonymity, resulting in another court case. Not sure, but it seems to me that all the others are connected in some way, so it would be difficult for one to waive anonymity, although not impossible, perhaps, if the others are kept out of it, but would that be possible?
Liz Lloyd. Leaky Liz Lloyd. We know she likes to sleep with the gutter press. All the jolly boys and girls eh?
This is why I pay for Wings. You are the best journalist in Scotland. You are incredible.
As honourable and true as Scotland’s political prisoner. Craig Murray. Who went to jail to set the truth free around Alex Salmond.
Incredible men.
Our country will be free. And your day of reckoning is coming. Alphabetties. Perjurers. Liars. Criminals. Bunny boilers and more.
sarah @ 6:12 pm
“Benjamin Harrop brought this case”
I gather the ScotGov brought this case, as the Rev noted:
“the Scottish Government has taken the new Commissioner (confusingly another Hamilton, this time David) to the highest civil court in the land.”
Who is Benjamin Harrop?
Sir Walter Scott wrote in 1808, in his epic story ‘Marmion’, this brief comment. It is uncannily relevant today.
‘Oh what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practice to deceive’
There’s many in the SNP hierarchy who should be thinking long and hard where their lies and deceptions have taken them, and indeed Scotland.
Telling lies seems Oh So Easy at the time, and Oh So Smart.
But, just as starting a war is the easiest thing (just ask Adolf Hitler, Tony Bliar, and V. Putin if you need persuasion), so too is telling lies a really easy thing to do.
It’s afterwards that it might not look so clever. Stopping a war (and winning it) can be extremely difficult; and the consequences a liar may later need to face may be very unhappy indeed – for the liar. In the present situation, it is to be hoped that sooner rather than later the lies are exposed to public gaze, and the liars taken to task, if not indeed to jail.
Dorothy Stain will be trying her best to cover up the corruption.
Lady Doughball – Dorian – the rapist enabler. When they set the jury convicted rapist free.
Lady Dorian, as we know reprimanded Woman H 4 times for trying to lead the Jury.
Sarah Smith was overheard in the lobby saying. Woman H was talking utter pish. They’ll never believe her!
We know Lady Dorian decided instead to jail Craig Murray. Even though the conspiracy was taking place right under her snooty nose and watching eye. She hates juries doesn’t she?
Because she hates justice.
Set the truth free boys.
Justice for Alex Salmond and Scottish Independence.
Strip the rot of corruption now.
Lorna Campbell @ 7.36.
Thanks for your input Lorna. This is something that has puzzled me for quite a while. The terms of the court order are perfectly clear. There is no exemption for accusers, but it seems to have become a common practise for accusers to name themseves if they so wish, without the risk of any sanction.
Not that it is likely that any of the Salmond gang are about to reveal themselves, more’s the pity.
There needs to be a judicial process which can assess competing public interests in cases like the failed Salmond prosecution.
A process whereby a court decides whether the public interest is better served by lifting an anonymity order when a person has been found not guilty in view of what took place, and equally important, how the accusers have used or abused the protection of the order subsequently..
Like many people, I believe the public interest is better served by the lifting of the order in the Salmond case. Everything points to a deliberate organised conspiracy to “get Alex”. A judge should be able to assess all the evidence, including a mass of information which the judge at the trial woudn’t let the jury see.
Only then could a proper deision be made, retrospectively, to confirm or overturn the anonymity order.
Genuine accusers would have nothing to fear from this procedure. But it would make those bringing false allegations and willing to perjure themselves think twice if they knew they weren’t guaranteed anonymity for life, with free range to go to the press and continue to spout their lies.
This glaring gap needs fixing.
@ Alf Baird at 8.26: “Who is Benjamin Harrop?”
What I meant was that it was because of Benjamin Harrop’s FOI application and his successful appeal v Scot gov refusal to produce the documents that BH had asked to see, that the Scot Gov is now appealing in their turn against BH’s successful appeal.
At least that is what I think is happening! See the Rev’s 8th paragraph.
The murderous Zionists telling the (WHO) World Health Organisation chief, to empty its warehouse where it keeps supplies destined for the oppressed Palestinians because the Zionist genociders are going to bomb it soon.
Lets never forget the likes of the Great Satan (USA) and the English government are enablers when it comes to Israel committing genocide and Biden and Sunak MUST stand trial for it.
link to nitter.net
Sarah. Correct.
Who is Benjamin Harrop?
He is the Independence supporting man who has persisted in trying to the extract the info, alluded to in this article, out of the Scots Government who have resisted all the way to the Court of session.
We’ll learn something from this one way or another. So thanks to BH. He wrote an article a while back that was posted on this site.
Is anything the way it seems Alf? This place, Scotland, has an increasingly strange feel about it going on 8 or 9 years. Is there anything Scottish owned left in the country? The SNP leadership desperately fighting to save the union, weird laws, climate extremism, genderism, anti civil rights cults given centre stage as opposed to being left on the fringes of politics where Scottish publics support would undoubtedly place them. And much much more.
I’d like to think gutter press slimeball David Clegg will be going to Jail too. For his libellous book about Alex Salmond.
But we know instead that Lady Doughball Dorian – in my personal opinion – a corrupt judge for the cabal.
We know that Lady Dorian hates the freedom of press. With her two tier ruling on journalism standards for gutter hacks and bloggers.
She’s helped turn Scotland into a Pariah State. This is the woman that wants to abolish juries remember.
She needs removed. She’s a disgrace in my opinion. She’s a disgrace to the legal system.
I sentence you. To the P45. Sacked for corruption.
Don’t get your hopes up.
Take of Lady Dorians wig.
She would have gotten away with it…
Were it not for those truth telling meddling nats!
Mystery Solved. Lady Dorian revealed.
Lifelong anonymity for perjurers she knows are perjurers and. She reprimanded woman H 4 times for contempt of court. She rewards woman H, with lifelong freedom and anonymity.
She jails Craig Murray without a jury. And creates two tiers of freedom of the press between approved government hacks and independent journalists. She jailed an innocent man. She makes me sick.
And then. She wants to abolish Juries. Because her cabal think it’s better to let convicted by jury rapists like Stuart Hogg off Scot free. Yet she knows better. She wants to abolish juries in sexual offences trials in her political opponents conspiracy Bill.
I don’t care if she ever resigns. I think she’s as corrupt and incompetent as fuck.
Mystery solved.
I’m sure there’s many an honest lawyer out there more deserving of the top job.
It’s time they grew a spine. An anti corruption spine. And bring down Nicola Sturgeon’s house of cards once and for all.
Who will fall first? Will it be the guilt by association jury hater and freedom of the press hater, Lady Dorian. And conspirator protector? Well soon find out.
Or will she do the right thing and tell the truth around the perjuring fiasco she witnessed and apologise to Craig Murray?
We’ll soon find out. Good luck to the truth tellers.
I do hope wan H is bricking it. They tell me Corntonvale is nice in the spring.
The reason for the conspiracy
The conspiracy, who is involved
Was conspiracy to pervert the course of justice even considered
The cover up
Who knew and went along
The subsequent lies
Yep it will all come out. Westminster will make sure it does. Every sordid little whatsapp message.
Thank god for Salmond to keep the lights on.
Republicofscotland @8.49. Your first para repeats a lie that was comprehensively rebutted by the IDF today and Tedros knows it was a lie. No order to empty his warehouse was given (despite the fact that some of the hostages have been kept by UNWRA workers). Your second para shows a strange form of “genocide” when Gazan Arab Palestinians now number the millions having started with a few hundred thousand. See real genocide is when you come out of the Second World War with half your population and even decades later you are still only what you started with. That’s real genocide. The rest is Pallywood. Look around Glasgow and you’ll see that Israel’s fight is your fight.
Re FOI requests/demands, they’re useful in and of themselves, but not really for the important stuff.
My experience (in London/Whitehall) has been that it’s often more effective to take a senior civil servant for a decent lunch, and then over coffee to say that one is considering an FOI to their department. You’ll most times get a lot more information as they try to avoid an FOI being submitted to start with. They know that they’ll have to pony up the info anyway, but they’d prefer that it wasn’t ever in the public domain.
link to scotcourts.gov.uk
The Scottish Ministers v The Scottish Information Commissioner
Case reference number
XA10/23
Date of hearing
Wednesday, 6 December 2023
live stream
@ Alastair at 7.07: thanks for the information that the case will be livestreamed on the Scottish Courts website from 10.30 tomorrow.
They’ll be booking one way tickets to Vienna as we speak… Fortunately. There’s always interpol in an Independent Scotland.
Set the truth free boys. End corruption now.
“Agent x says:
5 December, 2023 at 10:11 pm
link to scotcourts.gov.uk
live stream”
Thanks for that. I’ll catch up on the details later, being a manual worker.
Elsewhere… dinnae feed the troll…
My experience at the Court of the Last Emperor of China is that the courtiers were fearful that Yaozhi would discover the betrayal of the hidden one who told to a single laowai the legend of the eight rings and the secrets of eternal youth.
I used this fear of the emperor against them and was able to extract trading privileges that led to the amassing of riches beyond the imagination of Walter Mitty of Norfolk.
Now I spend my days aimlessly writing about myself and all the uncheckable things I may have done or not done in the service of myself and all those who love me and only me…
I am truly great unlike anyone else here.
You’re welcome.
Ted @ 10:03 pm
“real genocide is when you come out….with half your population”
Does the loss of 4 million Scots since the 1707 ‘union’ qualify?
It will be interesting to see how the die-hard Nicolytes spin this if, as expected, the former empress is finally exposed to be lacking in clothing! ?
It will be interesting to see how the die-hard Nicolytes spin this if, as expected, the former empress is finally exposed to be lacking in clothing! ?
UNDER SNOW TODAY
(Post 2014 Referendum)
Loch Ness hills under snow today.
Lunchtime concert on Radio 3.
Denis Kozhukhin on piano.
Mussorgsky: ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’.
Our joyful rendition of ‘Ode to Freiheit’ faltered.
We are going tone-deaf again.
The Great Gate of Kiev was in touching distance.
Those glorious opening bars of our Freedom Song.
Then some greased hidden chain purred shut again
our fleeting portal to tomorrow and the far horizon.
Who flicked that wretched switch? Who from what shaded pit
gave nod to drop the curtain on our Dawn Chorus of hope?
Who rehearsed the brutal snap of our dancing fingers,
the stealthful slit of our vibrant vocal chords?
Who picked up that sickening stick? Whose wicked claw
twitched the stygian wand to stymie our magic moment?
Whose gold-crossed palm raised the back-stabbing
baton to orchestrate this wintry conspiracy of silence?
FO SHNEACHD AN-DIUGH
(As dèidh Reifrinn 2014)
Cnuic Loch Nis fo shneachd an-diugh.
Cuirm-chiùil àm-lòin Ràidio 3.
Denis Kozhukhin air piàno.
Mussorgsky: ‘Deilbh aig Taisbeanadh’.
Cha dàinig e. Ar saorsa.
Tha sinn air fàs ceòl-bhodhar a-rithist.
Bha Geata Mòr Kiev an-siud
a’ fosgladh fa ar comhair le glòir
ach chaidh slabhraidh cheilte a shlaodadh
agus le purradh chaidh a dhùnadh as ùr.
Saoil cò thug an àithne chealgach ud los
eòin cheòlmhor na maidne a thachdadh?
Cò bhrùill meòir mheara ar luchd-ciùil?
Cò mhùch le glas-ghuib còisir ar n-aigheir?
Cò dh’iomair le làmh shlìogach baton-brèige
co-fheall geamhrail a’ bhalbhachd seo?
GM 8:55
Link to original article below.
—-
I believe something happened in 2017 between Sturgeon & Mayhem in that hotel meeting. Something obviously *off the record* to be conducted outside of the official office/residence of the FM. Sturgeon went down hill from there – taking independence off the table & making damn sure it derailed it with half baked zanny policies making a mockery while ignoring more important issues like stripping powers from Holyrood & Brexit to cavorting with war criminals to trying desperately to overturn her own mandates. How many times have they been in court now? Not to mention the only supposed Indy party to risk Devo with countless strikes against them – including a section 35 for the zany idea to have permission to mutilate children.
Sturgeon is bent but it will be a constant problem in Holyrood because it’s staffed by bent yoons appointed by Westminster. Evans, Bain, Lloyd etc whose interests aren’t to Scotland but to England’s interests.
Sturgeon never had the smarts or the strategy to outsmart them & neither does Dumbza. Sturgeon overseen the intake of more yoons in office, that real independent MSPs & MPs can now be counted on one hand & the SNP is flooded by yoons more interested in children’s genitals.
Whit a mess.
link to wingsoverscotland.com
PhilM,
are you always destined to come second in life?
Dàn àlainn, Fheargais. Tapadh leat
David Hannah at 911pm,
I agree with what you say. The very idea of Scottish justice is being tarnished before our eyes. It is an utter travesty that Craig Murray was sent to saughton jail.
London’s corrupt wee helpers in the crown office (seriously, they had a guy from England’s MI6 working there at the time) and our Scottish courts.
God help any male political opponent of London rule, once they bring in no juries for rape trials. Female spooks will be popping up all over the place, to swear on oath that they were ‘raped’. Just like was done to smear Julian Assange, or Dominique-Strauss Kahn (in both cases ALL charges were dropped, but the damage was done to their credibility).
Certain Scottish legal folk will, sans juries, happily do London’s dirty work and find them ALL guilty, guilty, GUILTY!
Meanwhile, in other news, the world, and supposedly free media ignores the murderous, bloodied genocide of civilians going on 24/7 in Gaza, at the hands of Israel and their cowardly, murderous soldiers. Keir Starmer of England’s red tory party thinks it is all quite OK. Anything to keep the Murdoch clan happy, I suppose.
#FreeScotlandNow
#EnglandOutOfScotland
Keep it simple
Ignore the detractors
If the case today results in an ICO win and the redacted material is published. Huge in terms of supporting evidence for Alex Salmonds £3 million pound claim. And the carbuncle on the nose of Scottish Civic life can be lanced. I won’t be able to watch the case unfold, so I will need to rely on updates from WoS later on as I cant see much interest from the MSM yet. A defining event in restoring public confidence.
I read in the papers that the Scottish government is making spending cuts and making painful decisions with the funds they have.
I wonder how much of this could be mitigated if they didn’t need to spend so much money going to court for example like this, the potential Alex Salmond case and the GRR one?
Does the IDF have any credibility?
The have long planned and executed the bombing of thousands of home with innocent men, women, children and babies.
They are willing to blow up homes where their own people may be held captive.
They were happy to end the pause in bombing even when every day brought out their kidnapped citizens.
I have seen the documentaries and movies of how the Nazis herded the Polish Jews into a ghetto where they became prisoners denied of food, water, electricity and medical aid with the long term objective of eliminating all of them children included.
How closely does the Israeli government following this horrific inhuman plan?
The LIAR’S will be found out by their LIE’S From the very top Bend over Pete n Rug muncher n all the rest of the Cabal will be shiting themsels if they lose this case
link to x.com
Who could forget Penny Mordant. Keeper of the royal seal saying the SNP has wasted £1 billion pounds.
Including giving Sanjeev Gupta £600 million.
This is Nicola Sturgeon we are talking about.
Sturgeon’s mother must have dropped her on the head. Her and her gob shite sister that spits on people. What a horrible Ayrshire family.
And no one wants to save Grangemouth. As Humza Yousaf and his Saturday girl Mhairi MaCallan and Anum Quasir, give all our taxes away to John Kerry and Africa to fund their hospitals.
The 600 million. To Sanjeev Gupta.
Everyone is saying he’s corrupt Nicola. That’s what they are saying.
And the SNP like to build schools to the wrong size and wrong specification. That doesn’t just happen. Does it?
She gave away the ScotWind sea beds. The reverse auctions £700 million give away.
Then she was in the JCB lauding that as a good deal.
And she won’t hand over the messages to the covid inquiry.
Never mind the courts. Vigilante justice needed in this country. They are so corrupt.
It’s time an MP uses Parliamentary Privilege. For a whole host of reasons.
As for Kate Forbes. She’s a plant for our CIA colonisers. That’s why she helped to turn Edinburgh into a free port. To keep us on our knees. They are all at it.
Still, those employed by the snp,mp’s,msp’s,councillors and hangers on,as well as independence supporters who see(stupidly) no way to independece
without the snp,expect us to go out and vote snp.
I did that most of my life!
Here are some (words)…to describe my feelings towards the snp…,
Shame…disgust…and revulsion.
So, No, there is no road to scottish independence through the snp,
even if there was some sort of (accomodation…?)with the uk government where scotland was “allowed” to present itself to the world as an independent country…It would not do Scotland or Scottish people a blind bit of f…..g good if those at snp HQ had anything to do with it!
They have shown the independence supporters of Scotland just who and what they are.
Shameful,disgusting and revolting…get them gone and prove that you want Scottish independence and nothing less,or
go back to voting labour…you did that (stupidly)as well for decades did’nt
you!
Sink or swim!
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh @ 1:22 am
As we’re doing poems explaining our ‘colonial condition’, here’s anither ane, in Scots:
link to yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com
Reading the comments, feeling a wee bit depressed, looked oot the windie and there are at least 5 Saltires in the sky! It’s a sign, ah tell yie, a sign
Is this hearing the reason Alex Salmond cited ‘end of the year, December-ish’ (not a quote but pretty much what he said, ages ago) as the likely next step in any major developments?
Do we know how long this hearing has been slated for today?
Thanks to those who posted links for live coverage.
Fingers crossed for some truth.
😉
Our colonial masters (via BAE systems) putting another 300 jobs into Scotland.
Creating apprenticeships and putting bread in the mouths of hundreds of Scottish families.
Not a peep on the beeb and hardly a mention in the MSM, but most importantly not a mention from the SG on this great announcement for the Scottish economy . Why not ?
We have had 300+ years of being told we are too wee, too poor etc when of course the opposite is true. Alex Salmond was building confidence and hope in Scotland until Sturgeon took over in 2014 and undid all the good work.
Now the tories want access to our bank accounts. But don’t worry. It’s just to make sure that you are getting all the benefits that you are entitled to. Aye Right. To be implemented in two years if they are re-elected.
Ted @ 10.03 pm
Lying liars lie but setting aside fake news reports where scenes of semi naked men being led away in blindfolds are set to stir hatred or satisfy bloodlust, how many palestinians (and their homes) are currently reported to be still standing in north Gaza and how does that number compare to the UN description of the crime of genocide against a group?
Back when Israel was hunting east European Nazis, and very much on the same side, it would go to great lengths to provide evidence substantiating its judgements.
In this instance however, its army (and ours?) appears to have been goaded into mass murder, possibly with the aid of attrocity propaganda from abroad, and opened itself to unflattering comparison with its nemesis, when trusting Interpol to lead the prosecution would have been a far far safer option for the souls of the nation – wider geopolitical aspects of their owners’ great games/ own existential battles notwithstanding.
For further detail, Mario Nawfal hosted a good twitter spaces debate last night addressing the events of October 7 which could be well worth your time – first to listen out for (and embrace) the objectivity, naivety, strength, emotion and even any malevolence, on both sides and secondly to imagine how the same debate might have progressed (2 months down the line) had the nazi hunters of old still been in charge.
link to twitter.com
AS LEVANTINE POLITICS seems to preoccupy some commenters this is a fairly comprehensive list, the Maghrib is missing, of nasty events in the history of Muslim rule in the wider context.
link to wikiislam.net
This is for information, not an exercise in «whataboutery».
As my own ethnic group were targets I feel it restores some balance.
A btl return to Scottish liberation politics soon?
I can read it and follow it which is wonderful because that means I am now bi-lingual and will update my CV accordingly. I see German words in that poem and this supports a point I made earlier: I remember somebody saying in another forum many years ago, from someone that didn’t have an axe to grind like Alfy boy here, that ‘Scots is English without its breeks on.’
Lowland Scots spoke English before 1066 which is of course a Germanic language. During England’s colonisation, south of the border English was infected with the French language – hence the difference today. So Scots English is closer to the original old English. I know Alfy boy disagrees with this theory but I couldn’t care less.
Turabdin,thanks for historic list of Islamic attrocities,just to bring it up to date,there has been over 44,300 terror attacks since 9/11 worldwide too, by fanatics who believe ,a nomad goatherd,spoke to an angel who had been missing for 700 years. Btw, the reason many of these countries are shitholes,isnt only to do with many of their rulers ,(who implement strict Sharia Law ,in their own countries)being with high class prostitutes in Park Lane hotels on a regular basis,( I used to work there, seen it)but due too praying, 5 times a day, hence you cant work with readymix concrete im afraid. Even that shithole Dubai ,was built by non followers of that cult.
An independent Judiciary of the Big Boys ?
You decide:
Carloway : Supposedly in charge of the entire legal system of Scotland including those never trustworthy members of fLaw Society & the 1532 faculty of Inadequates? Klingon to power having done nothing about lying cheating lawyers ? Appointed as LP/LJG by ex-flawyer Nickerless Turdgeon so enough said ?
Boyd : Failed attempted politician receives Lord Advocate title but does nothing to investigate police & copfs abuse, corruption & malicious prosecutions etc. Lockerbie & Scottish Court in the Netherlands farse & then happy to take Trumps dollars to scupper natural environment. Worked with Money Money Money Angiolini = Enough Said !
Pentland: Soliciting General for just 2 years 1995-1997 under Mackay. Achieved very little as Chair of Scottish Law Commission but did earn 3rd highest earner at the Scottish Bar. Seems to be a Geordie but not a canny Geordie ?
All 3 judges in cahoots with Scotgov in their career so far so that’s the level of independent Judiciary ???
@TURABDIN says:6 December, 2023 at 9:54 am
A btl return to Scottish liberation politics soon?
Naw, it’s much more fun self-id-ing as Pallys.
Live stream
link to scotcourts.gov.uk
@Alf Baird says:5 December, 2023 at 11:10 pm
Does the loss of 4 million Scots since the 1707 ‘union’ qualify?
It would, Alf, if the 4 million had all been killed, but they werenae, so it doesn’t.
But then again, the 4 million mostly went off to foreign lands, to enslave, kill, concentrate and otherwise exploit or eliminate the indigenous native Americans, Africans, aboriginals, etc. so yes, it does.
Obviously its genocide in the opposite sense to what you meant, but heyho, it’s the truth that will set us free, not the feel-good lies.
Haven’t you ever pondered why it is that eejits like Sam and others want us to shell out our pro-rata share of £1.8 trillion in reparations?
I saw a Saltire flying over Glasgow too. Saltire in the sky. Break the chains.
@Bernard de Linton says:6 December, 2023 at 10:29 am
Wow, that’s a big number!
What’s the number of Christian-heritage, nationalist Independence movements that have fraudulently elected a proudly signed-up member of the cult to lead them?
I make it to be one, but heck, maybes there’s some other shameless, apathetic, intellectually and morally bankrupt wee numpty country out there somewhere.
The BTL comments here are some of the most disgusting I’ve ever read. It really is over, isn’t it?
dasBlimp @ 10:22 am
“Lowland Scots spoke English before 1066”
I think you mean the language referred to as ‘Englis’, which is not the same as ‘English’.
The yoonies here seem to be unable to separate politics from religion.
It’s not that complicated.
Clowns
TURABDIN
I don’t think you have to be religious to recognise that the indiscriminate slaughter of civilians is abhorrent.
& Invaders, who have capitalised on the guilt of others, have no right to expand land they’ve no right to & withhold basic human rights on a daily basis.
It’s just not fair combat.
Have both armed to the teeth & ware a uniform..
But that’s not what they’re dealing with. When Joe public has just arrived off a plane/boat, is armed to the teeth & can just shoot to kill anyone & seize their land & property- As well as government gobbling off they’re all animals that need exterminating it’s the stuff of the 1930s & needs to stop.
This isn’t a religious war & I don’t think anyone here would be sympathetic to Sharia law which is also barbaric & has it’s own human rights abuses.
I do, Alf. I thought I made that point in my reply.
“ Lowland Scots spoke English before 1066 which is of course a Germanic language. (Sic)”
====
That is arguably the case in what was a Northeast part of the former Kingdom of Northumbria. For a fuller picture :
link to vividmaps.com
*wear
dasBlimp @ 11:17 am
“Scots English” ?
Like most languages the Scots language has evolved and developed from a number of language influences, reflecting cultural and trading interactions over time. The key thing is that the Scots language has been developed within Scotland by Scots, i.e. it is oor ain fowk’s indigenous language.
Auld Englis was merely one influence, other major influences come from Latin, Norse, Baltic countries, the Low Countries, and Ireland of course, with Gaelic. Language studies have found there to be perhaps a greater number of similar Norse words with Scots than there are English words.
Scots language is not therefore an ‘English’ language or a mere dialect of English as you (and many ‘one-nation Brits’) appear to imply in using terms such as ‘Scots English’. Scots is a distinct European language and part of the ‘Germanic’ group of languages.
Watching the livestream..
Umm..arrr…ugh…hmmm…umm..phwarr,phwarr..
Is this something they learn in law school?
Why can’t they just speak their point clearly?
That’s a few £grand already & we haven’t reached the point of law yet..lol
Thanks for the link to the interesting website Cynicus.
Unfortunately, my eyes were drawn to the Infographic ‘The price of Sex around the World’. I see ‘Rip off’ Britain strikes again. Fortunately, I am a handyman and so that saves the pennies.
Get over yourself. If I can put up with people like yourself dismissing my mother tongue as a ‘bastard language’, I’m sure you can put up with my little wind-up. Anyway, what is it with some of the BTL’ers here banging on about Scots and new Scots and racial purity. There’s only one way that sort of talk is going to go.
@ Fearghas M at 01.22: Very interesting poem, thank you. Who indeed flicked that switch to close our way to freedom in 2014?
Cynicus @ 11:26 am
Hou auld wis the bairns that drew thay maps?
Whichever way this ruling goes, and whatever happens thereafter, there would need to another FOI to ascertain how much this case cost the Scottish government. How much are Scottish ministers choosing to spend on the public’s behalf on keeping one of their pals out of jail?
There should be a tab somewhere of how much is being and has been spent on defending/covering up wrongdoing, to be added of course to the bill for stitching up Salmond and all the court time spent on his initial court challenge, his case, the jigsaw cases, CM’s time in prison, etc etc.
And all for what?
To keep the Britnat operatives hidden.
John Main says:
6 December, 2023 at 10:43
“Haven’t you ever pondered why it is that eejits like Sam and others want us to shell out our pro-rata share of £1.8 trillion in reparations?”
This exceptionally clear and relevant question causes me to offer two observations.
1. No-one ever conceived and born was pre-ordained to be. Every one of us was conceived by the random meeting of one male sperm cell (from millions) with one female ovum (from hundreds). The individuals who result are absolutely unique, have never existed before, and will never exist again. Therefore, it is an unavoidable fact that practically no-one alive on the planet today, would ever have existed had it not been for EVERYTHING that took place in history, prior to the moment of their conception. Slavery is part of that history.
2. As regards “reparations”, NO-ONE alive today has suffered any personal loss or injury as a result of slavery two hundred and more years ago. NO-ONE is today entitled to be paid-off from public funds, which basically would only be paid to shut them up. It is very easy to give away other people’s money, The SNP government is very generous with our money.
Too many people (including on this forum) spend far too much of their time greeting tears about perceived past events and injustices, and they are very selective.
It’s all very well celebrating The Battle of Bannockburn of 1314, but they don’t say much about many other battles that didn’t go so well for the Scots, such as The Battle of Halidon Hill of 19 July 1333 when a Scottish army was practically wiped out. But Hey ! That was 690 years ago!
What I think we should be applying our entire efforts to, is today, tomorrow, and onwards. The past we cannot change.
«IRAQ» my birth country, and mandated territory of «Palestine» were both British colonial political creations. Under the Ottomans they did not exist as admin. units.
Curiously, the modern concept of Palestine has much to do with maps in Protestant bibles which the key nation building players Lloyd George and Woodrow Wilson would have known, going back even to Martin Luther, and associates, High German translations.
Paradoxically, FATAH, PLO and HAMAS seem to owe their nationality to extra Islamic influence.
This link indicates how complicated the idea is.
link to en.wikipedia.org
Not for many with little knowledge. The legacy of colonialism has a long shelf life.
Anyway ENEUCH! Which i understand is guid Scottis for give it a rest.
The Scottish Government have clearly lost on the point of whether they “hold” the information or not.
That won’t be the end of the matter though. They will the apply what they consider to be public interest reasons on redacting most of it in view of what the court was told by their counsel.
This will run for a lot longer yet.
Coming soon: the next episode in The Hamilton Affair.
“The Redactor Pen Strikes Back”
PhilM @ 23:03;
Brilliant! Walter Mitty, indeed, how very accurate.
Whataboutery
The Assyrians probably got what they deserved because Sennacherib “descended like a wolf” on Galilee.
Keep religion out of politics (as much as possible)
@Charles etc.
People don’t go on about Bannockburn because it’s a battle that Scotland won. No-one is celebrating Bannockburn. The thing is I’m not sure you mean to argue in this way because it shows a fundamental misunderstanding of what Bannockburn means. You would have to be absolutely deaf to the nuances of Scottish culture to be this clueless.
All nations and cultures continually look backwards and forwards…every single one. It may irritate you personally but if Scots don’t ask questions about the past, historians from other countries/cultures will do it instead. This is so basic that it’s hard not to believe you’re arguing from a ‘bad faith’ standpoint.
Anyway let the word go out…down tools all you archaeologists across the land! Close the doors of the National Library of Scotland for good this evening…we’ve had enough of your dusty books for good! If anyone is looking a bit cold and hungry outside Edinburgh’s General Registrar House, tell them to wait because there’s piles of useless paper asking to be burned. As for the Mitchell Library…what is the point? Might as well knock it down and build a Flamingo Land or whatevers…
I’ve no idea what you said there, Alf. So I thought I’d put it through Google translate but, alas and alack, there is no option for Scots. You should have a word LOL.
Watching the Court of Session today was fascinating.
The three judges will know all the identities of the people in the Salmond affair and the roles they played in it. I suspect that they would like to get it all out in the open once and for all so Scotland can move on. It will be forever tainted unless this is done.
But there they are sitting in judgement of what one word means – the word “hold”.
They have given enough hints at which way the wind is blowing. Counsel for the Commissioner would do well to be very brief after lunch, and realise he doesn’t need to do any more.
The real battle will then start, but it will be months or years before it is concluded, and they may well succeed in preserving the veil of secrecy. Long enough perhaps for the SNP to get back into government again and continue to drive the country down the road to ruin.
At least the turkeys have seen the light.
Thanks Geri, that would explain it! I feel naive for not thinking of that. Should you be correct, surely the “decision” will have been asserted some time ago, and today is a pantomime to weave public justification for it.
If not it would be very interesting to see who swoops in to save the day and keep the documents hidden should the information commissioner win.
as usual the piece of dross that is John Main misrepresents what I say on here.
“Charles (not the R one) says:
6 December, 2023 at 12:54 pm
John Main says:
6 December, 2023 at 10:43
“Haven’t you ever pondered why it is that eejits like Sam and others want us to shell out our pro-rata share of £1.8 trillion in reparations?”
What I did was post details of what Caricom was seeking in terms of reaparations, how it was calculated and why it was seeking reparation.
From memory the legacy of colonialism that Caricon put forward was the continuing economic domination of white people through institutional racism, poverty, poor education and ill health.
I did not say what Main claims I said.
Repeatedly, out of malignity, stupidity or both Main distorts and misrepesents what people say – others not just me – and uses his distortions and misrepresentations to belittle and scorn those he wants to attack.
He is bully boy. A weak little bairn.
Appeal rejected!
Watched the Court of Session televised and did anyone notice the Conservative MP David Davis sitting at the back.?
Judgement given! And short shrift for the Scottish Government. Expect them to dig in now with their redactor pens.
Open government? Transparency? What do you think.
@ Alastair et al: Great news that Scot Gov lost their appeal! Well done, Benjamin Harrop.
And David Davis there? Wow. Perhaps there will be another speech by him in the House of Commons about Scottish government arrangements.
Thank you, Rev, for an excellent piece of public service journalism. I and nearly everyone else [but Joan McAlpine!] would have missed the case if you hadn’t written this article.
Could the FOI route be followed for many other areas of dissatisfaction with the Scot Gov? Ferries decisions, Fort William steelworks, wind farm auction, Scottish Prison Service policy of allowing self-id about 10 years before the GRR was passed, to start with?
Court case can’t possibly have happened. Nothing about it on the BBC website. They would be all over this…wouldn’t they?
Not seeing anything on The National’s facebook or website about this case – though they are reporting on Boris Johnson. Isn’t The National meant to be a Scottish newspaper?
Question should be asked, having seen how weak the appeal was, why 2 KC’s let their client go to court. After hearing both sides the judges dismissed them after a two minute huddle. Disgraceful misuse waste of tax payer money.
Like the NHS scandals of the ‘90’s
I expect a (high publicity) pro- victim verdict.
Followed by a (low publicity) reversal, compensation and gagging order.
Don’t except the gag compensation Ben.
How much did I pay for a KC to defend your criminality?
Sorry that is confidential information.
* 2x KC’s
@sam says:6 December, 2023 at 2:32 pm
He is bully boy. A weak little bairn.
Bad Sam!
Nae Xmas card fer ye.
It’s the lead in the Scotland politics session.
link to bbc.com
Flushed with that success I thought ooh lets have a look at the England politics section but imagine my surprise when I saw there isn’t one. BBC Scotland has loads of sections but poor little Engerlund only has one. Ingerrlund is so badly served by the BBC. I wonder why that is?
I’m glad I don’t pay my BBC tax.
Alistair @ 3.15.
You are so right. It was a total shambles. You will see I posted above the result before the court came back form lunch, half an hour before their two minute huddle, so obvious was the judge’s attitude to the case.
Another waste of court time and money if I could see the result so early in the day. How many cases have the SNP wasted money on now – and at what cost to the taxpayer? Total disgrace.
[…] Wings covered this yesterday – and has followed this up today with the decision being made by the Court of Session, so I am not going into the detail, but what I have is a question. […]
I watched the VILE bbc scotchland news at 1.30pm not a word about THE court case, and not a word about it coming up previously , all designed no doubt to protect the uk establishment asset sturgeon the trai tor, instead there was a ten minute WAFFLE about fitba tickets and how WM were cutting Scotland’s budget, colour me surprised